If we embrace AI, we can make our cities safer and more sustainable

The technology to give people the tools to anticipate, address, and recover from climate-driven events is here. But it is up to all of us — communities, governments, and companies — to put it to the best possible use

Above: Residents get on with daily life amid flooding Jakarta in February.

The cities that some 4.4 billion people call home are increasingly at risk of catastrophic climate-driven events. Rising sea levels and flooding threaten coastal megacities such as New York City and Jakarta, and extreme heat waves, like those that afflict cities across South Asia and the Middle East each year, are projected to become more frequent and severe.

While our built environments and infrastructure are being tested by unpredictable weather and changing populations, many urban communities are facing heightened climate-related health and economic risks.